We Are Closer
by Nights Sleepless
Summary: End of The Transformation. Peter finds that Olivia has gone back into the tank, again. Bolivia. Ratings for a little language.


So, this is based on the end of The Transformation. I added onto it.

It's inspired by the song _Syndicate _by The Fray. I went to the store today to get some new ear phones for my iPod, and of course, they have to put that right next to the selection of CDs. Talk about temptation. I saw the newest The Fray album, all gleaming and new, and I just couldn't leave it there. I've been listening to it nonstop all day :) And this song just jumps out at me screaming _BOLIVIA!_

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Halfway around the world,  
Lies the one thing that you want,  
Buried in the ground, hundreds of miles down.  
First thing that arises in your mind while you awake.  
Bending you til you break.  
Let me hold you now._

"Walter, come on, now," he called as he trotted down the stairs to the lab. He had been waiting in the parking lot for almost twenty minutes now. His father had assured him he just needed to grab something. _That's what I get for leaving him alone, I guess._ Sighing, he stopped short. His father was standing stiffly in front of a computer screen. Faintly, Peter could hear the _beep... beep... beep..._ of a heart monitor. Tilting his head, he blinked slowly. "Walter..."

His father didn't look up at him, just shuffled over and adjusted some knobs on a machine. The heart beeping grew louder, his father mumbling something to himself. Sudden deja vu hit Peter from earlier that day. Quickly, he walked swiftly to stand under the railing, looking up at his father. "Son, what are you doing here?" His father asked, still not looking up at him, instead examining a sheet of paper. "I thought I left you in the parking lot."

"You did leave me in the parking lot," Peter confirmed. "But you're not supposed to do that, remember? We've talked about this." His father stopped what he was doing, and looked up at him. Peter watched a handful of emotions shift across his face, before settling on ashamed.

Before Peter could ask Walter what was wrong, a third voice joined them. "Walter? Walter, are you there? I'm ready to come out."

Walter quickly looked away from Peter, moving to near the computer. He pressed a button on a speaker and leaned down to speak. "Of course, dear. I'll be right there." Standing up straight, his father fixed Peter with a blank stare, ready to take the yelling that was about to come.

"_What?_" Peter felt the rage hit him so hard, he took a step back. "_Are you massively insane?! You put Olivia back in the tank?!_" He held his hand up, pointing an accusing finger at the tank as he took two threatening steps towards his father. Then, he suddenly realized she was still in there. "Son of a bitch!" Twirling around, he dashed to the tank, fumbling with the handles. Was she okay? What if this did the trick? What if something wrong happened, without Astrid or Peter there to supervise his father?

Finally, he ripped open the huge metal doors, letting them slam back against the side of the tank. There she was, floating serenely in the water. Wries attached to her barely clothed body. He saw her hand move, placing it flat on the inside of the tank. Her eyes opened slowly, to peer up at him. "Peter?"

Before she could say anything else, he quickly reached into the water, not caring he was wearing a long sleeved shirt. Gently, he slipped his hands under her arms, pulling her towards him. He moved his hands down to wrap around her waist as he let himself fall to a sit, holding her to his lap. "Are you okay?" He hated how high pitched his voice sounded, a mixture of anger and worry. Well, he had a right to be.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." She moved, like she wanted to get up. But, he wasn't going to have that.

"Walter!" Peter barked, pulling Olivia closer to his chest. He could feel her shivering, and his stomach lurched with guilt. He should have come back with his father. He should have been there to convince her this was a major suicidal attempt wrapped in a ribbon called closure. "Get the towel, now." His voice was so low, threatening.

Olivia moved again, but this time it was to fall farther into his embrace. She rested her head on his shoulder, placing a hand on his chest. "Peter," she whispered. Walter timidly walked up to them, handing Peter a towel with his eyes downcast. Grabbing the towel, Peter draped it over her gently.

"How could you let her do this, Walter?" He demanded harshly to his father, who was slowly walking back to the computers. "You_ know_ how dangerous this is. _You know_. But that doesn't seem to stop you, now does it? No, you _can't_ pass up an opportunity to experiment on a human being. I swear, to God and everything else in the _whole fucking world_, if you _ever_ do this again, I will put you back in St. Clares. _Listen to me_!" Walter stopped turning off the equipment to look up at Peter meekly. "I'm serious."

"I know," Walter assured Peter, ducking his head down, his voice low. "I'm sorry."

Peter opened his mouth to say something else when Olivia grabbed his shirt collar, pulling on it harshly till he swung his head to look at her. "This was not his fault," she said firmly, and that was that.

Sighing, Peter shifted, wrapping his arm around Olivia's back as he pulled them both up to stand. "Here, let me see." She held her towel open as he began to peel the wires off her. He frowned at the dark red circles on her skin in their place. He couldn't help but let his fingers run down her stomach as he went from wire to wire. Standing up straight, he took the wires she had taken off her head from her. Tossing them on the floor by the tank, he stepped away from her.

She looked so small, dripping on the floor as she hugged the large towel around her slender body. She studied him closely for a second, as he returned the stare. Turning around, he walked to the lab table three feet away. Picking up her clothes gingerly, he moved back to her. He didn't say anything as he handed them to her, their fingers brushing. She didn't say anything as she took them, turning around to silently walk into her office.

There was a puddle of water just outside the tank they had created. He looked down on it, blankly. The front of his shirt was pretty soaked, his pants worse. But he couldn't seem to feel bothered by the water. It was just... there. Much unlike what it felt like when he had held Olivia to him. She was definitely not just... there. She was_ there_. Every ounce of his body had screamed awareness of her touch. Every part of his mind had wrapped around her name. Olivia Dunham could never be _just there_.

There was a noise, and Peter looked up. Walter was closing the doors to the tank. "Walter," he said, softly. He felt regretful for having that outburst of rage and hate towards his father. Something his father had never been regretful for as Peter grew up. But he wasn't going to dwell on that now. Walter slowly turned to look at him. "Let's go home." His father smiled and Peter couldn't help but offer up a small smile of his own.

"Let me just say good night to Gene." Of course. Peter placed his hands on his hips as he watched his father scamper over to the cow, silently watching them from it's stall. It was nearly eleven, and  
Peter knew he should be in bed by now. Listening to his father mumble in his sleep. Warm and comfortable under the blanket, while sleep tugged at his senses, making him imagine horrific serial killers and a beautiful blonde heroine who liked to brush his hand when they walked and smile at him from across the room.

"Go wait in the car, I'll be right there," Peter instructed his father. Walter looked at him for a moment, smiled, and then hummed to himself as he walked up the steps and out of the lab. Peter watched him go, only looking away five seconds after the door closed. His eyes then moved to the windows of Olivia's office. He could just barely see her through them, obscured by a file cabinet.

He slowly made his way over to the door, trying to gather what he was going to say to her. The idea crossed his mind he should just leave, without saying goodbye. But he knew he'd just end up laying in bed (or couch), regretting not saying at least something to her. So, with that, he knocked softly on her door. Something he rarely did, most of the time he would just walk right in, violating her privacy and generally pissing her off. But damn was she stunning when she was rattling off to him about personal space and work environment.

"Come in." Her voice was so soft, he barely heard it. Opening the door, he slowly walked in, closing it behind him. She was leaning against her desk, completely dressed, using the towel to wring her hair out.

He stepped up to her, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why did you do it? There wasn't any information you needed from him. Nothing to know from him that he could possibly tell you." He stood firmly, watching her eyes look down at the floor until he was finished talking.

Slowly, she lifted her chin, looking him straight in the eye. "He was leaving. My mind was pushing him away, killing his consciousness. I just... I just wanted to say goodbye." The answer shocked him, and he hesitated. Why had he only wanted to believe she was talking to John for work related reasons? Of course she'd want to say something to the man who she had loved, and lost. Peter felt a pain inside of him. Either jealously, or just plain concern that she was hurting. He wasn't going to figure that out just yet.

All he knew was he wanted her in his arms again. Stepping forward, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Please don't do that ever again." He wasn't even going to think about what he would do if something happened to her while she was in that damned tank. Just remembering how fast his heart had beat all those times she had screamed in fear and horror, screamed in pain, desperate to get out of the tank, sped his heart up now.

She smiled. "I won't have to..." Her smile faltered, and her eyes flickered down to his chest. "He's gone."

Without thinking, or was it all he was thinking about, he pulled her to him. She instantly wrapped her arms around him and he cradled her head to his chest. They stood there in silence, just gathering the warmth from the others embrace. He could feel her hot tears on his shirt, mixing in with the cold tank water. "Shhh." He ran his fingers through her damp hair with one hand, while the other, wrapped around her waist, tightened as to hold her as close as he could to him.

"Peter-"

"I know," he whispered. "It's okay. Shhh, it's okay." She relaxed in his arms, nuzzling her face into his shoulder. Her body, which had started shaking with the tears, stilled. Her could feel her fingers combing through his hair at the nape of his neck. His whole body was yet again screaming at the awareness of her touch. He wanted to stay like that forever. Wanted all of her forever. But, for now, he settled for this one moment.

_Baby close your eyes.  
Don't open til the morning light.  
Don't ever forget,  
We haven't lost it all yet.  
And all we know for sure,  
Is all that we are fighting for.  
Baby don't forget,  
We haven't lost it all yet.  
We are closer._

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(: I really like this song. Hope you enjoyed the fic!


End file.
